Des Lee Endowed Professors and Community Partners

The endowed professors in the Des Lee Collaborative Vision are quite unique. In addition to traditional teaching, research and scholarly obligations, professors in the Collaborative Vision spend at least half of their time engaged in community outreach and development in relation to their fields of study. Professors partner with each other and with one or more of the many community agencies in the St. Louis region and beyond. They pay special attention to the educational needs of underserved populations via creative processes, enhanced collaborations, shared best practices and a mindset that everyone deserves a challenging and fresh approach to obtaining a quality education.

Michael V. Smith, Ph.D.
E. Desmond Lee and Family Fund Endowed Professor in Music Education with the St. Louis Symphony, Opera Theater St. Louis, Jazz St. Louis, the Sheldon Concert Hall, and 13 other St. Louis arts agencies and 16 St. Louis area school districts.